Courtesy photo
The Spaulding gymnasts supported Pink for the Cure recently in Nashua.

rochester — The Spaulding High School gymnastics team went Pink for the Cure at a meet hosted by Nashua North that was also a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The Raiders finished third in a field of six schools and posted their best score of the season, a 94.9. Bishop Guertin was first place with a score of 128.95 while Nashua North was 2nd with a 109.35. Other schools at the meet included Nashua South, Alvirne and local competitors from Farmington.

Spaulding’s senior captain Sam Bahlert finished 5th place overall in the meet with her best score of the season, a 28.20. She was third place overall at the meet on beam with a 7.8. Bahlert also posted her best vault score of the season competing her half on-half off vault and earned an 8.0.

The Red Raider team celebrated the Pink theme of the meet with pink hair ribbons, pink socks, bandanas and a special sign for march- in to support of their hosts in Nashua. Spaulding donated $70 to support Nashua’s efforts for the Komen Foundation.

Spaulding opened the meet on beam. Nekkei Perry was the lead gymnast for the Raiders and posted a 5.2. Perry competed a new element she has added to her routine, a shoulder pull over on the beam. Senior Kim Whitehouse competed on beam for the first time and earned a 6.1 in her first outing. Paige Dufault stuck her beam routine and earned a 6.0, Brandi Dussault earned a 5.6. Finishing out the beam line up were Eryn Libby who earned a 6.0 and competed a new beam dismount and Bahlert who posted a 7.8. Their best four scores earned the Raiders 25.90 for the rotation.

“The girls are working hard in practice to add new elements into their beam routines that will improve their scores – new dismounts, better amplitude in their leaps, and experimenting with mounts and dance moves – as the season has progressed we’re seeing more stuck routines and that has been helping our scores,” said coach Rae Ann Chrane.

The Raiders competed floor in the 2nd rotation and in spite of competing on a flat floor the girls posted 25.50 overall. The Raiders counted routines from Kim Whitehouse (5.8), Ashley Brownell (6.0), Libby (6.3), and Bahlert (7.4).

Vault has emerged as a strong event for the Raiders who posted 27.9 in the rotation. Brownell competed in vault for the first time doing a straddle thru vault and earned a 6.1. Also competing the straddle thru were Kim Whitehouse and Dufault who scored 6.0 each. Three students competed in the front handspring – Katie Barnes posted a 7.0, Katie Menard scored a 6.4 and Monique Baldwin in her first time in vault scored a 6.5. Bahlert closed out the event with an 8.0 – her best vault score of the season.

Spaulding closed out the meet on bars where they have struggled all season. Baldwin has added into the bars lineup as the season has progressed an in her first time scored a 3.4. Also earning a 3.4 was Paige Dufault. Two gymnasts have added additional elements into their bar routines for this meet, Menard and Barnes each earned 3.6 for their routines. Bahlert closed out the meet for the Raiders on Bars with a 5.0.

“Bars continues to be tough for us – we just don’t have the routines skills some of the other teams are able to put up so we do the best we can to put up scores,” added coach Chrane.

The Raiders will next see action today at Gymnastics at Brentwood against Exeter and will be at the state championships in Salem on Feb. 16. The Raiders are coached by Rae Ann Chrane and Tracy Smith. Team member Kathryn Routhier served as score keeper at the meet. The team also wishes to thank the Spaulding floral class instructor for donating the pink ribbon for hair bows and staff at the Seacoast Cancer Center at Wentworth Douglas Hospital for the pink ribbon fabric bandanas worn for march-in.